124
votes
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Cryptic Clue Guide
(Throughout this post, I will be using cryptic annotations in code blocks. The answer word is made up of all of the capital letters; the punctuation, lowercase ...
- 148k
66
votes
Accepted
55
votes
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Is this chromatic puzzle always solvable?
Yes, it's possible.
Start with the various 2x2 squares.
Ignoring symmetries of rotation and color swapping, there are 1 combination of 1 color, 3 combinations of 2 colors, and 2 combinations of 3 ...
- 7,518
49
votes
Accepted
How to make someone open an origami?
Why not open with a short riddle to start with—perhaps a couplet? For example, on the ears, you could write in suitably mysterious type:
Here you are at number one
To start, undo what has been ...
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40
votes
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Guide to Codes and Ciphers
This guide aims to explain various ciphers, help you understand how they work, and how to decode them with or without a key.
This answer is currently being split into multiple posts to improve ...
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37
votes
Creating a Kakuro puzzle with a unique solution
Kakuro is a type of puzzle that is better created using a bottom-up process, in which you specify one or two sums at a time and explore the logical implications of those moves.
Take a look at this ...
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36
votes
How to make someone open an origami?
You could have a small part of the QR code visible on the folded origami. Just small enough that it's not immediately obvious what it is at first.
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35
votes
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Why does generating a Sudoku work in lines, but not in a random pattern?
You will be forced to backtrack more quickly if you proceed line-by-line, because the sudoku constraints are enforced line by line (and column by column and in each sub-square). If you fill in cells ...
- 438
32
votes
What are some examples of "cheat-proof" trivia questions?
Here are some things you could try:
Rebus
A rebus is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words and/or phrases. You can draw the pictures on ...
- 138k
30
votes
Accepted
Submitting a puzzle to the NYT
It doesn't seem like this is the proper forum for this sort of question. On the other hand I do have some experience with trying to get things published so I will try to answer the question.
Get ...
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29
votes
Help me to find a small but hard and clever maze
Here's a maze of mine.
Start at the top left square. End at the bottom right.
RULES: You must stay on a color for exactly THREE squares. You may not do a U-turn (return to the square you just came ...
- 12k
25
votes
Accepted
Is there a puzzle that is only solvable by assuming there is a unique solution?
At least not if the solution space is a countable infinite set, or smaller.
In that case, we can compute the finite time person 2) will need to find the solution found by person 1) by enumeration, ...
23
votes
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Ideas on puzzles for a scientific event
I have no experience making escape rooms, so I can't help too much with the logistics or know if these ideas are practical.
Here are some puzzle ideas:
Use the science of color perception to hide a ...
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23
votes
How does one go about creating a new grid-deduction puzzle?
When constructing a puzzle like this, the important thing to remember is that you should solve the puzzle as you construct it. The general process of construction goes like this:
Place clues to make ...
- 148k
22
votes
Is this a good question for an IQ test?
I don't think this is a good question for an IQ test. The problem is that there are some strategies to solve this kind of meta-question and who know one of these strategies can answer in seconds. Also,...
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21
votes
What are some examples of "cheat-proof" trivia questions?
My friends and I did quizzes for about four months, and these are my favourite rounds we did that fit your criteria:
Bad film reviews
There are aggregated lists of film reviews that are baffling and ...
- 550
21
votes
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How to confirm the reader has the right answer without showing the answer?
If all of the answers are one word or one short phrase, then the following might be an option.
Sort all of the answers to all of the riddles in alphabetical order in the answer section in the back of ...
- 19k
21
votes
Accepted
Unique number from digits 0123456789 with simple property
Here is an example of what you are looking for
I'll leave it to the reader to find it for themselves.
- 138k
18
votes
Accepted
How can I avoid the "Riddle-maker's Dilemma?"
I looked up the 10 highest-voted puzzles here that are tagged [riddle]. Warning: slight spoilers for those puzzles lie below.
A short, brutal riddle has a one-of-a-kind trick. It also makes use of ...
- 120k
18
votes
Is this a good question for an IQ test?
Bad question.
I would imagine a person who is familiar with the idea of paradoxes and self-referentiality would immediately go "aha, I get what this is" and answer D. Another person may have ...
- 289
17
votes
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Is this a good question for an IQ test?
I disagree with most of the other answers - I think it is a better question than most actual IQ test questions.
The point is that if you haven't seen something like this before, then whether you're ...
- 3,071
16
votes
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Creating a Sudoku where all clue numbers are orthogonally connected to the edges of the puzzle
Not necessarily a definitive answer (in fact there's almost certainly a better way) and certainly ignores your final question ("is there a formula for making them?"), but I've made a few rule-...
- 37.3k
16
votes
Accepted
Can experienced players tell when a Sudoku was randomly generated? Or if it's a shuffled version?
Can you tell when a puzzle has been computer-generated?
Yes, absolutely. Handmade puzzles can very easily be distinguished from computer generated ones by their "solve paths", and often ...
- 148k
15
votes
Accepted
Wordplay tricks for "Schrödinger" cryptic clues
It takes a lot of fiddling to get Schrödinger clues to work. A lot of the strategies for making them are similar to those you might use for making &lits, or getting good surfaces -- but here, you ...
- 148k
15
votes
Is this a good question for an IQ test?
Is this a good question?
No it isn't. The reason is that due to the broken way self-reference is worked into it, it has no answer.
Here is why.
Firstly, the answer to the question is a value from the ...
- 436
15
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to have a double miracle Sudoku grid?
Yes. For example, one such filled in grid is:
I've thrown the power of a brute-force sudoku solver at this problem. (Solving puzzles with a program feels a bit like cheating, but since this question ...
- 62.8k
14
votes
Accepted
Constructing interesting "Don't Know - Don't Know - Now I know!" type puzzles
The professor says:
I have written on Alice's paper an even ordinal and on Bob's paper an odd ordinal. Who has the lesser ordinal?
Then, after $\lambda$ iterations of the game, it is common ...
- 7,891
14
votes
What's a good way to introduce someone to puzzle-making?
There are a few things I do when creating a puzzle, and a few of my own rules I have created through experience, which I shall list below...
1. Planning is important
Puzzlemaking takes time and ...
- 60.9k
14
votes
What's a good way to introduce someone to puzzle-making?
I'm not sure how representative it is of the "right" way, or even a common way, but here's the rough workflow my puzzles go through (sorry in advance for the wordiness).
1. Play to your strengths
...
- 37.3k
14
votes
Accepted
How many total checkmates can you possibly make against the enemy king?
I have
As shown here:
Note: the position is easily seen to be legal, as the knight can make back and forth moves while the black pieces get into position.
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